Measuring the impact of climate change on South African agriculture: The case of sugar-cane growing regions

This study employed a Ricardian model that captures farmers' adaptation to analyze the impact of climate change on South African Sugarcane production under irrigation and dryland conditions. The study utilized time series data for the period 1977 to 1998 pooled over 11 districts. Results showed that climate change has significant nonlinear impacts on net revenue per hectare of sugarcane in South Africa with higher sensitivity to future increases in temperature than precipitation. Irrigation did not prove to provide an effective option for mitigating climate change damages on sugarcane production in South Africa. The study suggests that adaptation strategies should focus special attention on technologies and management regimes that will enhance sugarcane tolerance to warmer temperatures during winter and especially the harvesting phases.